PDP AS POLITICAL PARTY IN NIGERIA - THE INCEPTION UP TILL DATE



 Assignment on EDS 437 - Critically discuss the inception up till date - PDP as political party  in Nigeria (POLITICAL SCIENCE)


In the in list of all this confusion, a group of political leaders, eighteen them in the first instance and later thirty – four decides to  “dure the lion is his den”. This group  known, as the  G-34 later formed the rallying point of the  associations that  formed what is today, the people  democratic, party, PDP. What were the ideas  behind  this  coalition to save democracy Alhaji Muhammed Abubakar Rimi, second  republic governor  of  the people democratic party, trace the idea of the  formation  of the party to  the  quest to  unite the society  against military rule.


According to chief  Solomon  Lar, the first elected chairman  of PDP,  the G- 34  captured  the excitement of Nigiera because  of the quality and integrity for its members  ‘ to him, Nigiera were no longer willing to gamble a way their future to fortune  seekers who dominated the  failed politics  of the Abacha  era. As  a  consequence of sustaining the momentum  of democratic struggles,  the  G-34  attracted several political associations that  shared the vision of a truly formidable national political platform.   The  new party also set out to work together for the speedy restoration of democracy, the achievement  of national reconciliation, economic and social reconstruction and respect for human rights and the rule of law.

The people democratic party was launched at a colourful ceremony at the international conference centre  Abuja  on August  31,  1998. Te party had Dr. Alex Ekwueme as chairman, of the steering committee while professor Jerry Gana was the secretary. The PDP  applied  for registration along with several other  political association under the guidelines rebased, by the independent national electoral commission  INEC 

In all these criteria, the PDP emerged, tops. The INEC verification team observed that the PDP was firmly established  in  virtually all the wards of the federation. In the local government polls  the PDP won  471  out of the  774  L.G.A S  AND WERE TOPS .in 28 of the 36 states and the FCT. This the ground work for the establishment of the PDP as the most popular and largest political party in the history of Nigeria was achieved, the party not only had presence in every locality, it also was ahead of its competitors in the thrust of campaigns. Un of may 29, 1999, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo was duly sworn in as the second executive president of the federal republic of Nigeria on the 4th of June, 1999, the National Assembly was inaugurated (now Late) and Allaji Ibrahim Salisu Buhari elected as president of senate and speaker of the house of Representative respectively.

In response to the yearnings of the party members to democratic it structures, the PDP organized congresses and a National convention towards the end of 1999 to elect officials to run the Party. In December 1999, Chief Barnabas Gemade, a former secretary,  of works and housing was elected, National chairman while Dr. Okwesilieze Nwodo retained his office as National secretary. During Chief Gemades, tenure in office the peoples democratic institute, (PDI), the intellectual, arm of the PDP was established; The PDP was also expanded to other countries to enable Nigeria in the Diaspora enjoy membership of the fast growing PDP. In November, 2001, the PDP constitution was amended to provide for a four year tenure for elected executive from the previous 2 year tenure.

At the 2001 convention Chief Audu Ogbeh, second republic minister of communication, and former deputy speaker in the old benue state house of Assembly, was unanimously elected National chairman while prince Vincent ogbulafor, affairs, was elected national, secretary. The Audu ogbeh, led executive was remarkable, in managing the crisis legislative arms of government. It also energized PDP’s economic policy especially on Agriculture. He was the honouring Adviser to the president on Agriculture Chief Ogbeh, also led the party to Victory in the 2003 general election. The senator Amadu Ali led executive was notable for making the PDP an issue,-based and agenda-setting party several workshops and seminars were organized during his tenure to intellectually equip the party.

The high point of this executive was the redevelopment, of the PDP manifesto complete with an implementation formula to bring it in line with modern realities. The Ali administration also set in motion the machinery, for the building of a befitting National secretarial. On the minus side, the re-registration exercise they initiated was interpreted, by some leading party members as a deliberate ploy to weed out “undesirable elements” in other words, opponents of president Obasanjo. The PDP was therefore no longer a broad a broad base platform where all Nigerians could find expression as envisaged by the founding father befitting National secretarial; the constitution amendment exercise embarked upon by the national Assembly was also riddled was controversies, that portrayed the party in extreme bad light.

Members of the PDP in the National assembly, constituted themselves into a major opposition block against the party during this exercise. At the end the day, the amendment, proposal failed, to the utter disgrace of the PDP, which adopted an unpopular position. There was a systematic disconnect, between the party and the people.  
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